Finding Naruto
by Tohno Shiki
Summary: Left on the brink of death by his former best friend, Naruto is overcome by the desire to gain strength and fulfill his promise at any price. Can Sakura save her team mate before he loses himself?
1. Change of heart

Author's notes:

This fic is Naru/Saku, and it takes place after the timeskip. If you have any complaints or questions, I shall happily address them **as long as they do not involve changing the pairing**.That is fixed. Thank you for your time.

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, the Sharingan wouldn't be so heavily overpowered. But I don't, and so it is.

* * *

"_Don't bother struggling…" he hissed, sharingan spinning wildly as he held the blonde by his collar. "Against these eyes…" The sound of a thousand birds chirping started up "You are powerless." An arm crackling with blue lightning ripped through the blonde's stomach, sending blood splattering over the forest floor.  
_

_Naruto looked into the apathetic eyes of his rival, his best friend, and coughed violently, feeling the Kyuubi's chakra gather to his chest area in an attempt to heal the gaping wound.  
_

"_W-why, Sasuke? What..." blood trickled down the side of his mouth. "What will it take for you to come ba-" A violent blow was dealt to his face with his opponent's other hand. The raven-haired boy smirked and twisted his arm, forcing an involuntary groan of pain to erupt from the blonde._

"_I see that you haven't changed__. When will you understand that I am done with you weaklings? I severed all my bonds with Konoha that day, at the Valley of the End. Emotions will only slow me down if I am to kill __**him**__…" The Avenger's eyes darkened at this point, as he subconsciously clenched his fist, causing a wave of pain to spread through the other boy's body._

"_Sas..u..ke" the jinchuuriki choked, every breath causing him to spasm in pain. The arm was removed from his chest with a violent squelch, causing the blonde to fall forward onto the forest floor. Red chakra began to gather at his chest, knitting and mending the torn flesh._

_Gasping for air as the hole in his chest closed up, Naruto felt something grab his collar once more and yank him up to face the blood-red eyes of the boy who was his best friend._

"_I'll tell you one more time. Stop coming after me." The Uchiha sneered, reaching for the Kusanagi with his other arm. "We might have been equals at one point, but now you see…the gap between us has become too wide in just one year. Konoha interests me no longer, producing losers tied down by their emotions. You were all stepping stones in my path for revenge, no more, no less."_

_The blonde boy stared blankly at his rival, unable to believe the words he was saying. "You…who are you…you aren't the Sasuke I know..." Blood bubbled at the side of his mouth as he hacked and coughed at the sense of desperation rising inside him. "Sasuke…my best friend… he would never say something like this! I promised Sakura-chan that I would bring you back to her, and that's what I'll do, even if I have to shatter every bone in your body!"_

_The other boy snorted and delivered a harsh roundhouse kick to the jinchuuriki's stomach, sending him flying into a tree. "Pathetic. You always were all talk." In an instant, he appeared in front of the blonde, Kusanagi fully drawn. "Let me leave you with a parting gift." _

_The cruel blow to the already gaping wound caused it to reopen, as Naruto's vision went blurry. The pain was so overwhelming that he was unable to breathe or move. It took all his willpower just to open an eye when he heard a crackling sound._

_To the sight of the first person his age to ever acknowledge his existence, holding his blade poised beside his ribcage. Smirking cruelly, the raven-haired boy plunged his katana into the blonde's stomach, sliding it right through his right lung, before channelling his chakra into the blade._

_Loud screams erupted, torn from Naruto's mouth as the pain reached a whole new level. His whole body jerked and writhed, due to the electricity channelled by the Kusanagi into his body. _

"_Like it?" The Uchiha bent over, face arranged into its usual emotionless façade. "I call it…the Chidori Nagashi. It took many tries for me to arrive at the end result I wanted. For the victim to experience the pain of being internally electrocuted."_

_Unable to even move from the pain, the blond glared into his rival's apathetic crimson eyes, feeling true hatred for the first time in his life. Creating a technique solely for the purpose of causing pain… "Y-you..monster." Trying to move, to do anything, to hit the boy before him, Uzumaki Naruto felt completely helpless for the first time in his life. Blinding amounts of pain festered in the new wound, as he could feel it reject the Kyuubi's chakra. _

"_I'm sure you've realised by now, Naruto. I created this move just for you after our fight at the Valley of the End. Even with your monstrous regenerative abilities, this wound will leave a scar." The Avenger moved his head beside the blonde's ear, his hot breath causing an involuntary shudder from the boy. "And that scar…will remain forever. As a reminder of how you will never surpass me."_

_Pulling back, the Uchiha smirked at the expression on his rival's face. "Those eyes…I like them. Full of hatred." The glare intensified, as the blonde desperately tried to reach for his kunai pouch, wanting to wipe the mocking smirk off the brunette's face._

"_Drag me back to Konoha? Pathetic. With your current level of strength, you will never accomplish anything." Strapping the Kusanagi back into its sheath, the Avenger walked away, his steps loud and mocking to the motionless blonde._

_Stopping at the exit of the clearing, the raven-haired shinobi turned around. "Remember, the Sasuke who was part of Team Seven is dead. I will never return to Konoha. Your meaningless promise of a lifetime will never become reality. Emotions have made you weak, and the weak do not interest me. Goodbye…Naruto."_

_And the raven-haired boy was gone, the only trace of him a few leaves whispering on the forest floor. The wound continued to burn, along with it Sasuke's words. _

'_Emotions have made you weak.'_

_The blonde stared blankly at the spot where his rival and former best friend had been. Rendered unable to think, to move, the Avenger's last words echoing in his mind. _

'_The weak do not interest me.'_

_Even when Jiraiya found him there an hour later, he had not emerged from his catatonic state. Exhausted though he was from his encounter with Orochimaru, the Sannin draped his protégé over his back and made for the nearby Kusagakure. _

"_You'll be alright, brat. Just don't die!"_

_So preoccupied was he with the boy's physical state that the Sannin never noticed that his mind had been shattered, his beliefs and values reshaped by that one encounter._

'_Your promise of a lifetime will never become reality'_

_Foreign emotions boiled up within him as memories of the one-sided fight re-emerged. Shame at the ease which Sasuke defeated him with. Grief at how his weakness made him unable to fulfil his promise. And most of all, hatred towards Sasuke for what he had become, a great wave of hatred swept across him, choking him in its intensity._

_Ignoring the burning pain radiating from his every pore, the blond inched his hand toward his kunai pouch. Each movement made him hiss as pain spread throughout his body._

"_Don't move, gaki. You'll make it worse!"_

_Summoning his very last bit of strength, the jinchuuriki reached for a kunai and stabbed it into his left palm, much as he had done a lifetime ago, during that fateful mission to Wave Country._

'_Sasuke…no matter what happens…'_

_He watched in morbid fascination as droplets of his blood welled up and fell into the undergrowth. The kunai fell from his limp fingers as all traces of strength left his body. _

'_I will gain the strength I need to surpass you…'_

_Ignoring the white haired man's shouts regarding his idiocy, the blond shinobi watched the wound in his hand close up rapidly._

'_To show you that I'm not weak…'_

_The tear-stained face of his pink-haired team mate came to mind as he remembered the pain Sasuke had caused her by running off to Orochimaru._

'_And bring you back to Konoha for Sakura-chan! '_

_Unable to remain conscious any longer, he fell back against Jiraiya's back. Even as the darkness swallowed him, the grin never left his face._

_It was not the smile of the boy known as Uzumaki Naruto, the famous smile that inspired confidence in others and changed the hearts of everyone he met. _

_Rather, it was a decidedly grim smirk, one that could be found on the visage of one who had found his single purpose in life._

* * *

He awoke with a violent start, instinctively moving a hand to his chest to assure himself that there was no gaping hole there.

"Just a dream…?"

The boy took a deep, shuddering breath as he desperately tried to slow his heartbeat. He ran his hands through sweaty blond locks, smoothing them down. The dream had been amazingly realistic, so much that the scar on his stomach was burning.

"Damn it…it's been more than a year..."

Knowing that he would be unable to sleep any longer, the blond reached for his forehead protector on his bedside table. Staring into Konoha's emblem, feeling the cold metal under his skin...

_The Kusanagi slid into his right lung, puncturing it, and he could feel the cold metal in his chest, burning, slicing..._

"DAMN IT!"

The sound of glass shattering filled the air as a framed picture shattered against the wall. Panting heavily, the boy sank back into his bed.

"Why…do I still have nightmares about that day…?"

Those eyes. He could feel those onyx orbs from the picture boring into the back of his head, peeling away the layers surrounding his soul. And he was powerless to stop them.

_The crimson orbs bore into him, trapping him in their intense gaze, rendering him powerless to fight back…_

"I'm different now. All those emotions, those trivial things that slowed me down before will never do so again. All that matters to me now is surpassing you, Sasuke."

'_Are you trying to tell yourself that?' _his traitorous mind whispered. _'Because it's not working.' _Ignoring the voice in his head, Uzumaki Naruto changed into his ANBU uniform and took a deep breath.

"You'd better watch out, Sasuke, cause the next time we meet…I'll show you just how strong I've become."

He strapped a mask over his face, before jumping out the single window in his apartment. The sun was rising, he noted. It was going to be a beautiful day

'_Time for patrol duty'_

* * *

"It sure is a beautiful day today, huh?"

Haruno Sakura remarked to herself on the way to the Hokage's office, struck at the way the sun seemed to highlight the beauty of Konohagakure.

"Sakura-san!"

The pink-haired girl turned her head in surprise, flashing a startled smile.

"Ah, Lee-san! Good morning!"

The spandex-clad boy gave her a thumbs-up, accompanied with a blinding smile. Complete with twinkling teeth and all.

"Sakura-san, seeing your youthful beauty has brightened my day!"

While that remark might have been brushed off as one of Lee's quirks when she was twelve, Sakura knew that she was attractive. The form-fitting red shirt and short skirt, while practical attire for a kunoichi, had attracted many stares from members of the opposite gender. Which she didn't mind, as long as all they did was stare. This rule had been made abundantly clear when the remains of a man who had tried to grope her were wiped off the Hokage monument.

"_**Shannaro! Can't touch this!"**_

"Thank you, Lee-san. Was there any particular reason that you called out to me, or was it just to say hello?"

The fuzzy-browed boy adopted a thinking pose, furrowing his eyebrows comically. Sakura stared. Lee mumbled. Sakura stared. Lee mumbled some more.

"Ahh…Tsunade-sama told me to tell you something…"

The kunoichi shook her head in good-natured exasperation.

"It's all right, I was about to head over there anyway. I'll find out what she wants there."

The spandex-clad menace jumped into the air at Sakura's display of youthfulness before running off into the beautiful sunset for his 500 laps around Konoha.

Sakura snickered at the eccentric boy's antics. Sure, he might be strange, but Lee was a good friend, one she could always count on. Just like…

Her smile faded slightly as the kunoichi remembered her team mate, still away on his training trip.

'_It's been a long time since I last saw you…I wonder how you're doing, Naruto.'_

Despite all outward appearances, Sakura did care very deeply for her team mate. After all, he had always remained by her side regardless. In fact, since she and Ino still hadn't reconciled over the Sasuke issue, she could go as far as to call the loudmouthed blond her best friend.

'_I miss you... You were always here to put a smile on my face no matter how I felt. And that day…you promised to bring Sasuke-kun back for me…even though it broke your heart to do so. And all I ever did was treat you like trash! I'll make it up to you when I see you , I promise!'_

Of course, that couldn't go without a comment from the peanut gallery.

"_**Mmmm, I can think of a few ways you can make it up to him."**_ Gaping at the implications of the statement, a blush spread across the unknowing Sakura's face. Despite herself, certain images popped up in her head, prompted by her perverted inner self's remarks.

She shook her head furiously, clearing it of all the unclean thoughts.

'_Naruto's just my best friend, Sasuke-kun is the one I love.'_

"…_**You could have fooled me."**_

The pink-haired girl growled under her breath, causing several villagers to look at her with alarm. How could she be losing an argument against herself!

'_What do you mean by that? I always have and always will love Sasuke-kun. End of story.'_

"_**I'm sure it's perfectly normal for best friends to do what you were just thinking of, hmmm?"**_

Game, set, match.

The resulting blush remained on her face for the next half an hour.

* * *

Making her way down the familiar corridors of the Hokage tower, Sakura mechanically nodded and smiled at the people she had become acquainted with during her apprenticeship under Tsunade.

'_I couldn't possibly have feelings for Naruto, could I?'_

She subconsciously placed a hand over her heart, finding that it had accelerated at just the thought of her blond team mate.

'_I mean, sure, he's a great guy and all, but I love Sasuke-kun!"_

"_**Denial, that's what it's called."**_

Sakura groaned at the annoying voice in her head.

'…_Why do you keep popping up to annoy me?'_

"_**It's my sworn duty to keep you from lying to yourself!"**_

The kunoichi was so caught up in her internal argument that she didn't look where she was going. And thus knocked someone over when she turned around a corner.

"Ah, I'm sorry…I wasn't looking." she sheepishly extended a gloved hand to the man she had knocked over. As he looked up, she saw that he was wearing a Kitsune mask which covered his face, and wore the standard ANBU uniform. The hand that grabbed firmly onto hers was muscled and yet strangely slender, just like her own. The man pulled himself up, and Sakura noticed that he was a few inches taller than she was.

"It's no problem, Miss…" his eyes widened under the mask, and Sakura noted that they were a beautiful shade of cerulean that for some strange reason seemed familiar to her. His voice also caused her to be overwhelmed by a strange sense of nostalgia, as she experienced a haunting feeling like she had heard it somewhere before.

'_That's ridiculous, I don't know any ANBU.'_

Giving the man a polite smile, she turned to continue on her way.

"Sakura…"

'_What?!'_

Her head whipped around , but the Kitsune was already at the other end of the corridor.

"ANBU-san! Do I know you from somewhere?" she called out. The man turned around slowly and looked at her impassively from behind his mask. She was struck by the mixed aura of gracefulness and danger that he radiated, just by standing there. _'So this is an ANBU…'_

"…Yes. It was…good to see you again, Sakura." He vanished round the corner with those parting words.

'_That was weird, I wonder who he was.'_

She turned back onto her path to Tsunade's office, ignoring the nagging doubt in the back of her mind. The feeling that insisted she had seen that head of blond hair before.

Taking a swig of Sake, the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure glared at the paperwork, hoping that it would disappear if she looked at it enough.

After five minutes of intense staring and drinking of alcohol, her cheeks were tinted red and there was still no noticeable change in the stack. She rubbed her temples in a resigned manner.

"Time to get to work…" she muttered to herself, before a knock sounded on the door to her office.

'_Oh well, I could always do this another time.' _She mentally shrugged and yelled "Come in!" The Sake bottle was disguised by a genjutsu, so that it appeared to be a bottle of ink.

When the pink head of her apprentice poked into the room, Tsunade held back a proud smile. Obsessive fan girl she might have been at one point, but under her tutelage Haruno Sakura was now a competent medic-nin of the Leaf. As Ino had predicted when they were children, Sakura had bloomed into a beautiful flower.

"Tsunade-shishou? What did you want to see me about?"

Tsunade stiffened, giving Sakura a serious look. Despite the slight alcohol-induced blush on her face, she looked every inch the Godaime Hokage and a member of the Densetsu no Sannin.

"Sakura. Something has been bothering me for a while now, and I'm afraid only you can do something about it."

The pink haired girl looked incredulous. Something she could do that the Godaime couldn't?

"Shishou?" the pink-haired girl asked hesitantly, brushing a few pink locks behind her ear.

"_**Shannaro! What's this all about!"**_

Tsunade looked into her pupil's emerald eyes, finding them confused and curious as to what she was referring to. Pinching the bridge of her nose, the Godaime tried to find the best way to break the news.

"It involves your team mate…Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

Constructive criticism will be appreciated, so please drop by and leave a review if you have the time.


	2. Revelations

Author's notes:

I'm really, really sorry for the late update! I was…distracted by Ryuusei no Rockman (both the anime and the game), so it took a while for me to finish this chapter up. Anyway, if you have any questions or complaints, please voice them in a review and I will be glad to address them. **Technique translations will be listed at the end of the chapter.**

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I would be rich. But I'm not. Do the math :D

* * *

"It involves your team mate…Uzumaki Naruto."

Sakura blinked, unable to comprehend what had just been said for a moment, before realization struck. She gasped and looked at Tsunade, half-expecting her to say that it was a joke.

"Shishou, do you mean he's back?"

When she didn't receive an answer, Sakura immediately formulated her own conclusion from the grim look on the Hokage's face.

'_No…it can't be…'_

The pink-haired girl forced a smile onto her face as she desperately forced her rising concerns away.

'_There's no way…no way that Naruto could ever die!'_

Tsunade hesitated, before looking straight into Sakura's emerald eyes. The girl straightened her posture immediately, recognizing the look that her Shishou adopted during training. The look that said "Pay attention or else".

"I really don't know how to say this, Sakura."

The pink-haired kunoichi felt a sense of foreboding, and she knew she wouldn't like what was coming.

'_Shishou sounds so serious…Naruto, you'd better not be hurt!'_

"Your team mate…he's in Konoha."

Sakura felt her heart skip a beat at the words, and she was overcome by a sense of relief.

'_So that's it...he's finally back…Naruto, I can't wait to show you how much I've grown!'_

"To be precise, he's been back in Konoha for six months now."

'_What?!_'

"Tsunade-sama, that's impossible! I would've seen him at least once!"

The Hokage sighed and took a swig from her disguised Sake bottle. _'Why did I ever become Hokage? This job is so troublesome.'_

"It's possible when he's an ANBU who spends more time out on missions than inside Konoha. Not to mention the fact that he's either on patrol duty or training when he's in the village." She replied curtly, feeling a headache coming.

Sakura stared blankly into her Shishou's face, disbelieving and waiting for the punch line. After all, this had to be a joke…right?

When nothing else came, Sakura felt her knees weaken as she collapsed onto the ground.

'_Naruto…why…'_

"Shishou, why didn't he look for me when he came back? I was so worried for him!'

Tsunade said nothing, and Sakura felt her Shishou's eyes boring into her head, as if deciding if she should be told. The girl stared defiantly into the Slug Sannin's eyes, projecting all the confidence she could muster.

'_I need to know what happened to Naruto! The Naruto I know would never do this!'_

The blonde shook her head slowly, a reluctant smile spreading across her face.

"That look in your eyes…it reminds me of the brat when I first met him. He was so stubborn, unwilling to back down even at the cost of his own life. Did you know that he was the one who convinced me to become Hokage?"

Sakura's eyes widened as she brought a hand to her mouth in shock.

"_**More points to the man!"**_

'_Now's not the time!'_

Sakura proceeded to knock her inner self unconscious with a mental baseball bat, before returning her attention to her Shishou.

"Before he came, I was convinced that wanting to become Hokage was a fool's goal, a title that could only lead to death. That brat…I was so angry at him for being foolish enough to want it."

Sakura saw a fond look pass across Tsunade's face as she recalled the past events.

"He changed my mind, brat though he was. That day when he saved my life…"

Sakura shook her head, dumbfounded. Naruto saved the life of one of the deadliest Kunoichi in the Shinobi world?

'_Just how much do I not know about you, Naruto?'_

The blonde Hokage chuckled softly at Sakura's shock.

"Don't look so surprised. Many people underestimate him, just as I did. They failed to see that underneath that annoying exterior was a boy who would give his life to save his precious people. Like he did…on that day he defeated Orochimaru's apprentice and saved my life."

Sakura felt a knot twist in her heart as she realized just how she had been treating Naruto ever since she had met him.

'_Naruto, you're annoying!'_

'_Naruto is always getting in the way of my love life!'_

'_Naruto doesn't understand me at all!'_

The girl clenched her fist tightly as she remembered how all her biting remarks had been met; with a large smile and a stupid remark.

'_How could I not see it before…? Naruto, that was your defence mechanism, wasn't it? Whenever you were hurt, you smiled to hide your pain… Can you ever forgive me?'_

"I can still remember the words he said that day…_I won't die until the day I become Hokage! _He was so bright, so cheerful, I was so sure he would never change…"

The pink-haired girl was astonished at the revelation, having always believed that Tsunade had acquiesced to becoming Hokage of her own free will.

'_How many lives have you touched with that boundless energy of yours?'_

Sakura watched the Sannin's face harden as she once again regained her tough demeanor.

"Sakura. Let me tell you up front that Naruto has changed greatly since you last saw him. If you want to know why, there is someone in this room who is better suited to tell you than I. Isn't that right…Jiraiya?"

Looking extremely annoyed, Tsunade shot an arm out and grabbed onto what seemed to be a patch of air. Sakura stared, beginning to question the woman's sanity.

When the hand twisted and pulled, however, the form of a familiar white-haired man materialized into the office.

"Ow, ow , ow…Tsunade-hime, you're still as brutishly strong as ever."

The Hokage gritted her teeth angrily and gave Jiraiya's ear a hard yank, pulling him into a headlock.

"I don't have time for this, you pervert. Now, tell Sakura exactly what happened."

The said girl was watching the proceedings in a bemused fashion.

'_These are the strongest Shinobi in Konoha? We're doomed…'_

As if to prove her wrong, Jiraiya straightened up and he adopted a grave posture in contrast to his previous perverted grin. Sakura was struck at the change that had come upon the man within the space of a few seconds.

'_Well…he is a Sannin after all, as well as Tsunade-sama's team mate. He reminds me of Naruto in a way…'_

"_**I'll kill him if he turned Naruto into a pervert!"**_

"Sakura, are you sure you want to know what happened to the gaki? I don't think you're going to like it."

The pink-haired girl hesitated for a moment, but an image of her team mate's smiling visage flashed across her mind.

"_I'll bring him back for you, Sakura-chan! It's a promise of a lifetime!"_

Sakura stared resolutely into the Sannin's eyes, her stance oozing confidence and determination.

'_Naruto…I don't know what has happened to you, but I promise I'll try my best to help you!'_

"I need to know, Jiraiya-sama. Naruto…he's my best friend! The reason I trained was to gain the strength I need to protect my precious people. So…please…tell me what's wrong with Naruto…I want to be the one to save him for once!"

Both Sannin nodded in approval at the resolute look in Sakura's eyes. Tsunade put a hand on her apprentice's shoulder, and allowed a proud smile to filter through her normally stern face.

The Frog Hermit grinned, noticing the similarities between Master and apprentice.

"You picked a good one, Tsunade. She's as stubborn as you are, and from the looks of it, she's got the potential to be just as strong too."

The Hokage smiled smugly in response, crossing her arms over her ample chest.

"Of course, she's my apprentice after all."

Sakura flushed at the praise given to her by the two legendary Shinobi, before a perverted giggle cut through the air.

"Oh my…she's taking after you in other ways too. Only fifteen, you say? Not bad…not bad at all…" Jiraiya wriggled his fingers in a perverted manner as he examined Sakura's chest.

"HENTAI!"

A crushing blow was delivered to pervert's face by his former team mate, who huffed in anger at his shamelessness.

"Tell her what happened to the brat now, or I'll remove something that's very precious to you, you perverted idiot!"

The white-haired man nodded painfully, rubbing the comical bruise on his left cheek. Sakura shot a disgusted look at Jiraiya, all traces of respect she had for him erased from her mind.

'_Tsunade-Shishou left Naruto alone with this man for two years?!'_

"About a year and a half ago…we were on the outskirts of Kusagakure, where I was planning to let the brat learn some techniques. That's when it happened…we encountered Orochimaru with an escort of Oto Shinobi accompanying him."

Sakura's brows furrowed as she contemplated the implications of Jiraiya's statement.

'_Hold it, Kusagakure? What would Orochimaru be doing there? He was with an escort, so I would assume was a political visit…'_

Tsunade, noticing her apprentice's confused expression, interrupted to fill in the blanks for her.

"Shortly after that, Kusagakure broke off all trade and diplomatic relations with us, so I would presume that Orochimaru was there for an alliance."

Sakura nodded in understanding. _'I see, so that's how it was.'_

"_**Shannaro! Get to the point already!"**_ Sakura growled at her inner self in annoyance at the show of disrespect, but found her mind traitorously agreeing despite herself.

'_I need to know what's wrong with Naruto…but I have a bad feeling about this…'_

Sakura took a deep breath, trying to calm her rising nerves.

"Jiraiya-sama, could you please get to the point? I want…no, I need to know what has caused Naruto to change!"

"_**That's more like it!"**_ Inner Sakura punched the air in victory.

Jiraiya shook his head, a grin forming on his face.

"You're as impatient as he was. To put it bluntly…it was the Uchiha."

Sakura felt the air escape her lungs as she exhaled sharply. No…it couldn't be…

"What do you mean, Jiraiya-sama? You mean Uchiha Itachi, right? Because Sasuke-kun would never hurt Naru-"

Sakura was cut off by a sudden twinge of pain in her shoulder as Tsunade tightened her grip. Turning around, the girl found the blonde with a neutral look on her face.

"Shishou?" Sakura asked in a confused manner. "Is something wrong?"

The Hokage shook her head slowly, before addressing her apprentice.

"Sakura…" the said Kunoichi winced at the slightly disapproving tone in her Shishou's voice. "Do you remember the injuries Naruto procured after his fight with the Uchiha?"

Sakura nodded, recalling the medical report on her blonde team mate's injuries that day.

"Superficial bruising concentrated mostly around the neck area, first degree burns on his arms and legs, and no other injuries were discovered. Not even scrapes or cuts."

Tsunade looked towards her white-haired team mate, seemingly having a non-verbal conversation with him. After several minutes, during which Sakura fidgeted impatiently, the Hokage appeared to have reached a decision.

"Yes, that is the state Naruto was in when he arrived at the hospital. However…"

Tsunade exhaled, blowing one of her bangs to the side of her face, before continuing. "You do remember what I told you about the brat being a jinchuuriki?"

Sakura stiffened, giving her Shishou a hesitant nod. Since the Hokage had imparted her with that knowledge a year ago, she had tried her best to ignore it for the first month. It was only avoiding the issue altogether that she could lessen the guilt she felt for adding to the burden he carried during their childhood.

It had taken a few months, but the pink-haired girl had come to terms with her guilt, and acknowledged the fact that she could not change the way she had treated the boy in the past. Instead of feeling guilty, she had thrown herself into training, waiting for Naruto's return so she could apologize to him for all that she had done.

"Hai, Shishou. What does that have to do with his injuries?"

"Well…one of the side effects that he gains from being a jinchuuriki is increased regenerative abilities." When Sakura opened her mouth to interject, the Hokage shook her head. "I don't think you understand, Sakura. What I mean by regeneration is that most fatal injuries will heal up in a matter of hours."

"But that's impossible!" the pink-haired girl let out, realizing what her Shishou was arriving at. "If what you say is true, then the fact that Naruto had injuries at all when he arrived at hospital means that…"

Tsunade nodded, confirming her apprentice's suspicions. "From what the brat told us, Sasuke used the Ryuka no Jutsu on him from point-blank range, before…driving him head-first into the ground and breaking his neck." She hesitated for a moment as Sakura's eyes watered, before finding the resolve to continue. "If it wasn't for the Kyuubi, Uzumaki Naruto would have died."

"…_**Sasuke must die!"**_

Sakura felt a fist clench around her heart as she realized the implications of what she had just been told.

'_While I was feeling sorry for myself after Sasuke-kun, Naruto…he almost died to keep his promise to me…And I never thanked him for it…I'm such a horrible person!'_

"I…" Sakura's voice cracked as she tried to vocalize the shame she felt when she realized that she had never expressed gratitude towards her blonde team mate. "I…n-never knew…"

She recalled Naruto in hospital after the retrieval mission swathed in bandages. Even then, she had been too blinded by the loss of Sasuke to really see the pain the blonde had been in.

"He told me what truly happened during the fight on one condition: that it never reached the rest of the Rookie Nine. That brat didn't want anyone to give up on the Uchiha…he said that he had to keep his promise to you."

Sakura felt her eyes water as she was told of the extent to which her team mate would go to keep his promise to her. "W-why…Why would he go so far…for me…"

'_Sasuke-kun nearly killed Naruto…and he didn't want anyone to know just so he could make me happy…Naruto, you idiot!'_

Tsunade sighed, putting her arms around the teary-eyed girl. Sakura broke down, tears of sorrow and regret making their way down her cheeks.

"It's all…m-my fault…I made h-him promise me…" loud sobs erupted as Sakura clung onto the Hokage while letting all the pent up guilt she felt from her treatment of Naruto loose.

_Flashback_

"_Naruto!"_

_The blonde turned around slowly, a curious expression on his face. The other members of the retrieval team also halted, although only Shikamaru turned around to scrutinize her._

"_You're too late, Sakura. Hokage-sama has specifically stated that you are not to join this mission."_

_Sakura nodded her understanding, eyes fixated upon the ground as she approached her blonde team mate with hesitant steps. _

"_Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, stepping forward to meet the pink-haired girl under the arch of Konoha's gates._

_The girl desperately tried to keep her emotions under rein, but could not prevent tears from leaking from her eyes. They trickled down her cheeks to splash on the ground, creating splatters as they impacted._

"_Naruto…please…I couldn't stop Sasuke-kun from leaving. Only you…only you can bring him back…so please…promise me that you'll bring him back to Konoha…to me!" Sakura raised her head to meet her team mate's sapphire orbs, imploring him with all her heart to bring back the boy she loved._

_To her surprise, she found not his usual goofiness and idiocy, but a deep-rooted sadness in his eyes. The grief she saw there confused her, what had happened for her easygoing team mate to feel so strongly?_

"_I can understand how you feel all too well…Sakura-chan…you really do love Sasuke, don't you?" The boy twisted his face into a pathetic excuse for a smile which conveyed not happiness, but an unbearable pain which could not be expressed through words alone. For a moment, Sakura was lost in the maelstrom of raw emotion that could be found in his eyes, before a sudden movement broke her out of her stupor._

_Naruto had flashed her a thumbs up and a bright grin, erasing all traces of the sadness he had shown moments before. _

"_I'll bring Sasuke back for you no matter what, Sakura-chan! That's a promise of a lifetime!" With that, the blonde nodded at Shikamaru, who lazily told the squad to take their positions._

_Sakura watched from Konoha's gates as the five Shinobi chased after her missing team mate. After they had gone out of sight, she turned around and slowly made her way home, ignoring the stares her tearstained cheeks received. She didn't realize till later that not all the tears that had hit the ground were hers… _

_End Flashback_

Recalling the way her obsession with Sasuke had blinded her to her other team mate's feelings, Sakura's weeping became increasingly violent as she grabbed fistfuls of Tsunade's robes in her grief.

"It's alright…just let it all out…" Tsunade whispered soothingly, patting her apprentice on the back. The motherly side she rarely showed surfaced as the Godaime Hokage of Konoha, one of the strongest Kunoichi in the Shinobi world, comforted the girl she had come to consider a daughter.

* * *

"Neko reporting. There's nothing unusual on my side, Taicho."

"Tori here. It's all clear, Taicho."

"…"

The ANBU captain known as Kitsune sighed, rubbing his forehead with the hell of his palm.

"Inu, get your face out of that damn book and report!"

The voice of his most annoying squad member squawked through the radio.

"Maa maa, my bad, Taicho. I was lost on the road of-"

"…your perverted book, hentai. Report." The blonde hissed impatiently. After he had made ANBU, very few things could make him lose his cool. And it so happened that his squad member and old Sensei was one of them.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, T-a-i-c-h-o." Kitsune could almost picture the man's smug, albeit invisible grin under that damn mask he wore. The sound of muffled laughter from his other two squad members did nothing to improve his mood.

'_I'm not paid enough for this.'_

The boy let out another sigh that sent a wave of static crackling into his headpiece, before heading back in the direction of Konoha.

"Regroup at the gates so we can give in our report and get this over with."

Upon receiving confirmation from his squad, the ANBU captain, also known as Uzumaki Naruto, increased his pace, intent on reaching his destination as soon as possible.

'_I need to get back to Konoha and train so I can get stronger. Sasuke…I'm coming for you, and nothing will stop me from surpassing you.''_

An image of the pink-haired girl he had seen half an hour ago flashed involuntarily across Naruto's mind, nearly causing him to slip on a branch. He cursed under his breath and hurriedly regained the pace he was moving at before.

'_Sakura, huh? She sure has grown since I last saw her… Not that it's any concern of mine. She is just a part of my past, another one of those bonds I need to break in order to get stronger. A former bond, no more, no less.'_

Reassured of his purpose, the blonde continued on his way to Konoha, ignoring the lingering doubts his traitorous mind conjured.

* * *

Sakura embarrassedly wiped the remaining tears off her face, acutely aware that there were tearstains down her cheeks, and that her eyes were puffy and red.

"Sorry, Shishou…I just…"

Tsunade smiled fondly at the girl, happy that Naruto had someone who cared enough to cry for him. God knew the brat needed it.

"It's all right, Sakura. I understand that this must be difficult for you, but Uchiha Sasuke is a dangerous missing-nin who will not hesitate to attack anyone who gets in his way."

The pink-haired girl looked down at her feet for a moment, before staring straight into the Hokage's eyes with a look of steely determination in her emerald orbs.

'_Sasuke-kun…how could you do this to Naruto? You, me and Kakashi-sensei, we were like family to Naruto, the family he never had…For him to be betrayed by the one he thought to be a brother…it's unforgivable.'_

"Hai. I understand, Shishou. So he was the reason that Naruto…has changed so drastically?"

The previously forgotten Gama-Sennin cleared his throat, causing all eyes to turn to him. "There is something I must inform the two of you. Something extremely important." Jiraiya commented with a serious look in his eyes.

Sakura gulped nervously, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down the back of her neck.

'_Jiraiya-sama looks so serious…maybe it's something to do with why Naruto's become so different!' _

"You two are…" he paused, creating tension in the air as Tsunade and Sakura waited for him to finish his sentence. "The inspiration for my next Icha Icha Book!"

Maybe not.

"_**Shannaro! Pevert!"**_

For once, Sakura found herself in total agreement with her inner self. Legendary Sannin be damned, a statement like that couldn't go unpunished! She looked towards her Shishou, noting an identically disgusted look on her face. They made eye contact with each other, and nodded in unison.

Moving forward simultaneously, Master and apprentice smashed their fists into the pervert's face, sending him crashing through a wall and flying towards the general direction of Sunagakure.

"Hmph." Tsunade sniffed contemptuously. "I can't believe that old letch was my team mate."

Sakura nodded vigorously in agreement, all sadness forgotten for the moment as she and Tsunade shared a moment of mutual pervert-bashing.

"_**Have you forgotten? Ask her what happened to blondie already!" **_Sakura's other persona roared, swinging her fists around in anger.

The girl gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth in surprise.

'_All that drama…and I still don't know what happened to Naruto.'_

"Tsunade-Shishou? I know that Sasuke-kun did something to Naruto, but what actually happened?"

Tsunade merely shrugged in response.

"I don't have the exact details, but the old pervert said that he was distracted by Orochimaru and his escort while the Uchiha dragged him off. It was only when Orochimaru retreated that Jiraiya was able to find the brat."

Sakura sucked in a nervous gasp of air as she awaited the details on her team mate's condition.

"He was in a bad state, to say the least. According to the pervert, he was on the brink of death. If he had been found an hour later…" Sakura blinked away the shocked tears that had welled up in her eyes. She had to be strong for Naruto, she had to know what had happened to him in order to help.

Tsunade cast her apprentice a sympathetic look, knowing how hard the news must be for her. "There was a gaping hole in his stomach, obviously from the Chidori. Thanks to the Kyuubi, however, it had healed sufficiently for the brat to survive, albeit weakened from blood loss."

Sakura felt the Hokage's words impact into her psyche, shattering beyond repair any notions she had of Sasuke being innocent. She clenched her fists tightly, nails digging through her gloves hard enough into her skin to draw blood. She no longer felt grief, for that had passed. All she felt now was red-hot anger, fury at the boy she had once loved for hurting the blonde who only wanted to fulfill his promise to her.

'_Sasuke-kun…how much have you changed? To use the technique Kakashi-sensei taught him for the purpose of protecting loved ones to hurt them…the Sasuke-kun I knew would never do that!'_

Tsunade cleared her throat, causing the pink-haired girl to break out of her contemplative state and look at her. "That isn't the extent of his injuries. It seems that the Uchiha was prepared for Naruto's regenerative ability after their previous fight, so he came…prepared."

"_**That bastard! I'm going to mutilate him!" **_Inner Sakura had somehow procured a gigantic cleaver and was waving it around with reckless abandon.

Sakura found herself agreeing despite herself. Even though he was her crush, what Sasuke-kun had done to Naruto was unforgivable.

"Are you listening, Sakura?"

The girl stared blankly at Tsunade, realizing with a sinking feeling that she had just missed everything that had been said.

"Um…could you say it again, Shishou? This is just a lot to take in…"

Tsunade's face softened as she nodded, knowing the turmoil Sakura must be going through. After all, the same thing had happened to her when news of Orochimaru's betrayal had reached Konoha.

"The Chidori wound wasn't the worst of the brat's injuries." Sakura raised an eyebrow skeptically.

'_A technique worse than the one Kakashi-sensei used on Zabuza? How is that possible?'_

"The Uchiha…he…" Tsunade's face darkened as she remembered the description of the wound that Jiraiya had presented to her. "He left Naruto with a wound that will never truly heal. There was a stab wound that the Kyuubi could not heal, for some strange reason. As such, the brat had to undergo intense medical treatment in Kusagakure to salvage his right lung. If it hadn't been successful, he would have been unable to continue as a Shinobi."

The pink-haired girl was aghast, and felt bile rise in her throat as she realized how close the blonde had come to quitting the Shinobi profession and being forced to abandon his dream. All because of the boy he had promised to bring back to her. A wave of anger rose within Sakura as she slammed her fist into the wall.

'_Naruto…what on earth did Sasuke-kun do to you…'_

"Because of me…Naruto nearly died twice…" As quickly as it had come, the anger left her body, making Sakura feel weak and hollow at the realization that she had nearly caused the death of her team mate with her selfishness. That Naruto's drastic change and avoidance of her was because he hated her. "Because of that stupid promise…this is all my fault! And Naruto knows it…that's why he's avoiding me!"

_SLAP!_

Sakura held her rapidly reddening cheek as a brutal blow broke her out of her trance. She looked up to see a furious Tsunade glaring at her viciously with her hand outstretched.

"Are you done with the self-pity, Sakura?" the Hokage growled, raising her arm as if preparing for another strike. "Because I will not allow you to ruin your life by wallowing in guilt the way I did!"

Sakura stared at the furious woman with teary eyes, waves of guilt battering her heart as she imagined her bright and cheery team mate becoming a dark assassin in ANBU.

"But…Shishou…there's no other explanation! Naruto's been avoiding me and he joined ANBU! He must hate me for making him promise me to bring back that…_traitor_!"

Her last words were hissed as Sakura felt pure, unadulterated anger for the first time in her life. Anger at Sasuke for running off to Orochimaru, for hurting Naruto, and most of all for still occupying a portion of her heart despite all the things he had done.

Tsunade sighed, once again bringing her apprentice into an embrace.

"Sakura…you don't have to feel guilty. What Naruto did for you…he did of his own free will. You know that he wouldn't hate you for something so petty. The Uchiha is responsible for his change, don't tell yourself otherwise."

Sakura looked into the blonde woman's understanding hazel eyes and nodded reluctantly, seeing the logic in her words.

'_I know that what she says is true, but…I just can't stop feeling guilty. Gomen ne, Naruto. If it wasn't for me, you would've never gotten hurt…'_

The pink-haired girl stepped back from the embrace, wiping her eyes in an embarrassed fashion.

'_Shishou must think that I'm such a crybaby…'_

Tsunade cleared her throat, an amused look in her eyes as she smiled fondly at her apprentice.

'_You've grown a lot since I first took you as my apprentice, Sakura. In every possible way. '_

"Now, moving on…" Sakura straightened her posture and looked into Tsunade's eyes with a determined gaze, projecting confidence despite the fact that she had obviously been crying.

"After that encounter with the Uchiha, Jiraiya said that Naruto changed in every possible way. He threw himself into training, achieving results that were stunning, to say the least. Within a year, he had surpassed your old Sensei Kakashi."

To say Sakura was stunned was an understatement.

'_How could Naruto have gotten that strong…in a year? It's just not possible!'_

"_**Anything's possible for Naruto! I hope he beats the bastard up!" **_Inner Sakura once again added her two cents, swinging her fists in the air for emphasis, before Sakura locked her up in a soundproof box.

"However…"

Sakura could hear the "but" coming from a mile away, and she had suspicions as to what it was about.

"This incredible rate of growth has come at a price. Ever since that day, the brat has been obsessed with growing stronger and learning new techniques. He closed himself off from everyone else, and interacts with others only if it's necessary for his missions."

The girl stared blankly at the blonde Hokage, hoping beyond reason that what had just been said was a joke. She had been expecting a change, but for Naruto to become a completely different person…

'_Obsessed with training and getting stronger…Naruto sounds like he's becoming just like…him…' _Sakura clutched her chest in pain as she felt her heart jolt at the thought of the blonde treading down the same dark path that the Avenger had.

Tsunade sighed, massaging her temples as she felt the migraine she had anticipated make its presence known.

"To put it briefly, he improved so rapidly that the training trip became redundant after a year. Jiraiya decided to allow him to return to Konoha half a year ahead of schedule, where the brat requested to join ANBU. He also asked that his return be kept secret for as long as possible."

Sakura ground her teeth together in anger, and slammed her fist against the wall, uncaring of the consequences her actions might bring her.

"Shishou! How could you let Naruto join ANBU? He doesn't have the heart to assassinate someone in cold blood!"

Tsunade shook her head in despair, and Sakura realized that the Hokage was just as torn about the issue as she was.

"I couldn't refuse him…Naruto is currently one of the most talented ANBU in the corps, with an entry exam score equaling that of Uchiha Itachi." Sakura exhaled sharply, recognizing the name from the digging she had done on Sasuke's past.

'_Uchiha Itachi…prodigy of the Uchiha clan, youngest ANBU captain in history…and the perpetrator of the Uchiha massacre, which scarred Sasuke-kun for life. Naruto…have you really become that strong?'_

"I don't like him being in ANBU any more than you do, but we're still suffering from the aftermath of the joint Oto and Suna attack from three years ago, so I'm bound as the Hokage of Konohagakure to do what's best for the village." Tsunade avoided her apprentice's eyes, ashamed by what she had been forced to do.

"I think…I understand." Sakura bit her lip, knowing how frustrated Tsunade must be. She might not be happy about Naruto joining ANBU, but she understood the reasons behind it.

'_Shishou is the Hokage after all…she has to put the village's wellbeing ahead of an individual's, no matter how much she hates to do so.'_

"Don't worry, Sakura." The pink-haired girl tilted her head upwards to face the blonde woman, who had a confident grin on her face. The same grin she donned whenever she was about to lose a large sum of money while gambling.

'_I don't think I'll like what she's about to say next…' _Sakura felt a chill go down her spine.

"Since I couldn't stop him from joining ANBU, I put someone on his squad to keep an eye on him. Someone who is concerned for the brat, emotionally perceptive, and highly responsible!"

Sakura blinked in shock.

'_That…actually doesn't sound too bad. Maybe my gut feeling was wrong.'_

"Shishou? Who is this person you have keeping an eye on Naruto?"

* * *

"Inu!" an irate Neko screeched, her hand getting closer and closer to her hip where her Katana was sheathed. Beside her, Tori and Kitsune stood silently, burning a hole in their squad member with their eyes. "We arrived half an hour ago!"

The dog-masked ANBU laughed sheepishly at the killing intent that was being directed towards him by his squad members.

"Gomen, gomen…you see…I was lost on the road-"

"Mikazuki no Mai!" Radiating insane levels of killing intent, Neko went berserk and proceeded to attack her squad member with her Katana, fully intending to mutilate him.

"He is without a doubt, the most irresponsible man I have ever met in my life." Tori commented, casting a disgusted look towards the orange book her squad member held in his left hand.

"…" Kitsune shook his head in disgust.

'_That time-wasting perverted bastard…why is Kakashi on my squad?!' _

_

* * *

  
_

Sakura raised an eyebrow at Tsunade, who had refused to tell her the identity of the mysterious person she had placed in Naruto's squad to watch him, only telling her that her team mate was in safe hands.

'_Whoever it is must be really trustworthy, for Tsunade-sama to believe in him this much.'_

"Well, Sakura. That is all the information I have called you here to tell you today. Now, the question is, what will you do?"

Sakura hesitantly ran her hands through silky pink locks as she tried to sort out the thoughts running through her mind.

'_I can't believe this has happened…Naruto was the one constant in my life…the guy who remained bright and happy no matter what...and now…'_

"_**I've remained quiet for long enough now!" **_Inner Sakura broke out of her mental prison, intent on making her outer self see the light. _**"For someone so smart, you really are dumb! Isn't it obvious what we should do?"**_

Sakura brought a hand to her chest as she realized the truth in Inner Sakura's words._ 'That's right…now isn't the time to wonder about the cause, but rather what I can do to help. Naruto has done so much for me…now it's my turn to help him!'_

Tsunade reached for her Sake bottle and took a swig, watching her apprentice's reaction change from uncertain to contemplative, and finally rested on determined. A slight smile graced her visage as Sakura squared her shoulders and looked up with green eyes that burned with resolve.

"Shishou…please leave it to me. I don't care what it takes, I will bring the old Naruto back no matter what!"

'_I'll bring Sasuke back to you no matter what, Sakura-chan!'_

Sakura's lips curved upwards into a large grin reminiscent of her blonde team mate's as the words seemed to flow from her mouth without requiring conscious thought, joining Naruto's voice in her mind.

"It's a promise of a lifetime!"

* * *

I really apologize for the lack of action, trust me when I say that it's coming up soon! ^_^ Again, some constructive criticism would really be appreciated, so please leave a review if you have the time.

**Mikazuki no Mai – Dance of the Crescent Moon**

**Chidori – One Thousand Birds**

Thank you to the following reviewers!

Denim88, DemonicLove555, Lady Wicked, dbzgtfan2004, Legally Fabulous, suzako, mangalover248, CrystalICE1, lilgirl, nathaniel smith, templar132, rickp2006, AgentBEATS, Mira94, Meca Vegeta, Chris Robins, Gnosismaster, Vengeful Beast, arkard, ofdarknesschaos, IronicEnding


	3. Confrontation

Author's notes:

Here's the next chapter! I would just like to know, would it help if I provided translations for the Japanese terms as well as techniques at the end of chapters? If you do have trouble with understanding them, please tell me so I can amend my previous chapters. Thank you.

**Technique translations will be listed at the end of the chapter.**

Disclaimer: It cost me a fortune in therapy, but I now accept that Naruto (and Misora-chan) will never be mine.

* * *

Sakura stepped quietly out of the Hokage's office, her mind moving in several directions at once in an effort to process the newfound information she had been given.

'_According to Shishou, Naruto is usually at one of the ANBU training grounds or in his apartment. Now that I know where he's going to be…there's no way he'll get away from me! I'll get my best friend back in no time!'_

"_**And we'll get to jump him as soon as we find him too! I bet he's grown…mmm…" **_Inner Sakura giggled perversely, a blush tinting her cheeks.

The noise broke Sakura out of her stupor as she shuddered at the giggle, finding it disturbingly similar to Jiraiya's when he had been…examining her.

'…_Hentai. I'm helping Naruto, not molesting him. Get this into your perverted head for the last time, he's just a friend!'_

"_**Boring! I want some action!" **_

Sakura growled in frustration at her inner self's perverted behaviour, desperately wanting to strangle something. She launched into a furious mental debate with Inner Sakura, determined to prove once and for all that she had purely platonic intentions towards her blonde team mate.

'_What did I ever do to deserve this…'_

* * *

Whistling a jaunty tune as he buried his face into the latest volume of Icha Icha Paradise, Inu made his merry way down through the Hokage tower. Seemingly unaware of the high levels of killing intent directed at him by an irate Kunoichi.

"Die…must…kill…" Neko muttered repeatedly, fingers twitching dangerously close to the Katana that hung on her belt. Her mantra attracted large amounts of attention, mostly in the form of alarmed looks or frightened genin trying their best to stay out of her way.

"Refrain from murdering your squad member, Neko." Naruto quietly stated, wondering what in the world he had done to deserve squad members who behaved like they were a quarter their age. "It might cause unnecessary paperwork."

Neko scowled at the infuriating and irresponsible pervert as if it was his fault, and nodded reluctantly in response.

"Hai, Taicho."

Finding it too difficult to look at Kakashi without feeling the urge to disembowel him, she cast her gaze towards her enigmatic Captain, Uzumaki Naruto.

To say that the boy was mysterious was an understatement. Commanding his own ANBU squad at the age of fifteen was no mean feat, and Neko had been understandably sceptical of the boy's skills when she had first heard that she was to be in his squad.

_Flashback_

"_I assume you all have heard the rumours about a teenager passing the ANBU entry exam with a score equal to that of Uchiha Itachi?"_

"_Hai, Hokage-sama." Came the prompt reply from Tori, Neko and Kakashi, who had not received his mask. They were unable to keep the curious tone from entering their voice, all wondering how an obviously false rumour was relevant to why they had been called to the Hokage tower._

"_I assure you that those rumours are indeed true." The looks of shock that were not visible to her, but she knew they were there. After all, none of them had expected this, and she couldn't blame them. Uchiha Itachi was a legend in Konoha, renowned for being the youngest and yet one of the best ANBU Konoha had ever seen. The idea that there was a second coming of Uchiha Itachi was frightening._

"_Ahh…Hokage-sama?"_

_Tsunade turned her gaze upon the silver-haired ANBU, already anticipating what he was about to ask. _

"_I'm guessing that the reason you're telling us this is because we're his new squad, am I right?" After receiving a brief nod in reply, he continued in his usual lazy tone. _

"_What I don't understand is the reason I was called back into ANBU. If the new Captain is as much of a prodigy as you say, he shouldn't need me on his team."_

_Tsunade shook her head exasperatedly. _

"_The reason I placed you on his team is not because he needs you to do his job, but for more of a personal reason. Kakashi…I need you to take care of him. He needs it."_

_The man frowned, an expression that was invisible to the rest of the room's occupants. _

"_Tsunade-sama, I'm not a babysitter. I'm a Jounin-" Tsunade sighed, cutting the man's rant short. After all, he knew Hokage-sama well enough to know that people who angered her often ended up in the Hospital for extended periods of time._

"_You're a Jounin-sensei without a team. Sakura is currently under my tutelage, the Uchiha is currently a missing-nin," Kakashi grimaced at the reminder of his failure as a sensei, still ashamed at the fact that he had failed to realise Sasuke's intentions. "And Naruto…well…."_

_Kakashi gaped at the implications of her statement. "You're not suggesting…Hokage-sama! That's…"_

_He was interrupted once again by the room's door slowly swinging open to reveal a lean blonde in standard ANBU gear, a Kitsune mask concealing his visage. All eyes turned towards the boy, sizing him up and deducing his skill level._

_Despite putting him under heavy scrutiny, Neko could gauge nothing about the boy. His movements were tightly controlled, and his body language revealed nothing about what he felt. She felt a grudging sense of respect rise within her and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment. _

_Looking over to gauge her new squad members' reactions, Neko found Tori to be looking curiously at the boy with her head tilted at an angle. Kakashi, however…_

"_Naruto…is that you?" The silver haired man uttered in a shocked tone as his visible eye widened._

_The boy nodded curtly in response, removing his mask to reveal a pale, angled face with whisker marks on both cheeks and cold cerulean orbs. Neko briefly wondered if he had the ability to control every muscle in his face, before moving her attention back to Kakashi._

"_What happened to you?" To say that the Copy Ninja was shocked would be an understatement. What had happened to that cheery boy who was the binding thread holding Team Seven together? For him to have become so emotionally guarded and quiet…_

_When Kakashi saw that no reply was forthcoming, he slumped, visible eye looking resigned. Despite his laziness and obsession with pornography, Kakashi did care for his students, considering them to be precious comrades. That really left him with only one choice._

"_Tsunade-sama, I accept the offer."_

_The Godaime nodded her satisfaction, knowing what his decision would be before he had made it. _

"_As of now, the four of you are a squad under the command of Uzumaki Naruto."_

_End flashback_

And ever since, they had been on countless missions as a squad. Although their group dynamics were lacking, Neko found the squad to be highly successful, completing most of the missions they undertook and efficiently withdrawing from those they failed.

However, apart from his abilities, the purple-haired Kunoichi had learned next to nothing about Uzumaki Naruto. From the missions had been on together, she knew that Inu liked his perverted orange books and that Tori enjoyed singing.

But about the blonde enigma, she knew nothing. While all her other team mates had inadvertently displayed facets of their personality while on missions, Kitsune had never shown his personal side to his team. In all her years as a Shinobi, Neko had never seen someone as strictly professional as her Captain, much less a fifteen-year-old.

'_I wonder why he's so uptight…' _

Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when she felt something collide into her.

* * *

Too caught up in her argument with Inner Sakura, she never saw it coming.

It was only a few moments later, when she found herself sprawling on the carpeted floor that Sakura realised she had been knocked over.

'_Déjà vu…why does this keep happening to me …'_

The pink-haired girl sighed, brushing aside the bangs that had fallen haphazardly across her face. This just wasn't her day.

'_I just hope it isn't the same person I bumped into this morning…'_

Sakura slowly rose to her feet, dusting her form-fitting attire while she gave herself a casual once-over to ensure that nothing was out of place. When satisfied with her state of dress, the girl turned to face the cat-masked ANBU she had run into. She idly noted that the woman had long hair that was a bright shade of lavender, and carried a katana at her hip.

"I'm sorry that I bumped into you, I was thinking…" She sheepishly grinned, not knowing that both their thoughts had been occupied by the same person. Albeit for completely different reasons.

"It's fine, I was…distracted as well." Neko nodded at Sakura sharply, before turning to her captain.

"Taicho, we should get going. Godaime-sama is waiting for our report." She stated in a clipped tone.

Sakura curiously followed the direction of the purple-haired woman's gaze, which led her to a Kitsune mask. Sakura gasped in recognition as previous events flooded into her mind.

"Ah…you're that ANBU from this morning!"

Kitsune nodded sharply, radiating annoyance at the delay. Looking into his eyes, Sakura once again felt overwhelmed by an unexplainable sense of nostalgia. However, she could see that something about those pools of cerulean were different…

"Yes, Sakura. Now, if you will excuse us…"

Sakura growled under her breath. Who did this ANBU think he was, dismissing her like that?

"Wait! You know my name…just who are you?"

Kitsune surveyed her impassively, and she was struck by the coldness of his gaze. His eyes revealed nothing to her about how he felt, they were just…there.

'_That's it…his eyes were shocked this morning, but now…they're expressionless. They almost remind me of Sasuke-kun's…'_

"…You don't need to know." Sakura glared at the man as he turned his back on her and began making his way down the corridor. There was something about him that just screamed of familiarity, and yet she couldn't place it in her mind.

Deciding that she had no reason to bother with Kitsune any further, Sakura shifted her gaze to his team mates. Tori had shoulder length hair like her, but it was a dark shade of purple. Her jade eyes radiated mischievousness, and she gave Sakura a playful wink when she met her gaze.

When Sakura turned to the last squad member, she was confronted not by a mask, but by a familiar orange book.

"Kakashi-sensei…"

Kitsune turned around with a growl at her words, mentally cursing whoever had decided to put Kakashi in his team.

The man put his book down, revealing a dog mask. Giving him a cursory inspection, Sakura determined that almost nothing about Kakashi had changed since she had last seen him. The single visible eye under his mask was curved into a happy crescent, and she could only imagine the grin he had on his face.

"Ohaiyo, Sakura. It's been a long time, ne?"

An impatient Kitsune glowered at his infuriating squad member. "Kakashi, we wear masks for a reason. What's the point of your mask if everyone can tell you're under it?"

Kakashi sheepishly laughed as his arm instinctively moved to the back of his head.

"Gomen, Taicho. I have absolutely no idea how she found out!" His statement was met by a stunned silence as everyone was struck speechless at the stupidity of the statement.

The pink-haired girl recovered first with a snicker, glad that at least one person in Team 7 hadn't changed.

"You're the same as ever, Kakashi-sensei…still walking around with your face buried in those ridiculous books."

The man merely chuckled, before turning his attention back to his book. "It's good to see you again, Sakura."

Sakura smiled, casting a fond look at her former sensei. It had really been a long time since she had been on a mission with him, Sasuke and…Naruto.

'_That's right, Naruto!'_

"Kakashi-sensei! Have you seen Naruto around?"

The silver-haired man once again looked up from his book, and she could detect a hint of mischief from his visible eye.

"Can't say I have, Sakura."

The pink-haired girl narrowed her eyes at his amused tone as she began to piece her thoughts together.

'_Something isn't right here. Kakashi-sensei was a Jounin-sensei, he wouldn't join ANBU without a reason…could it be…'_ She was struck by a theory so wild that it couldn't possibly be true, but…

"…Kakashi-sensei. Can you tell me one thing?" Upon confirming that she had his attention, Sakura continued. "Why did you decide to join ANBU?"

The only visible reply she received was a shrug, but Sakura had a feeling that her former sensei's grin was rapidly widening. She also noted out of the corner of her eye that Kitsune had stiffened ever so slightly, but it was enough to strengthen her suspicions.

"I can't tell you that, Sakura."

She nodded, expecting his response. The gears in her head began working as she put another piece of the puzzle in place.

'_It's not that he won't tell me, but rather he can't…that would mean that he was ordered specifically not to by someone of a higher rank. Now for the confirmation…' _She prepared to ask the question that would make or break her theory.

"Kakashi-sensei, when did you join ANBU?"

Before the silver-haired man could reply, his blonde squad leader interjected in an annoyed voice.

"Cease this pointless line of questioning at once, Sakura. You are holding us back, and delays are something I do not tolerate."

'_Bad move, ANBU-san.'_

The young woman merely smirked, placing her hands on her hips as she turned to face Kitsune. The Captain's reaction had all but confirmed her suspicions, and she could see the realisation dawning in his eyes.

"It was six months ago, wasn't it Kakashi-sensei." Sakura stated confidently, maintaining eye contact with the blonde as he stared calmly at her. "Six months ago when you joined ANBU."

"_**You go, girl!" **_Inner Sakura cheered, bolstering her confidence. _**"Show blondie who's boss!"**_

"It was also six months ago when _someone_ returned to Konoha and began commanding his own ANBU squad, in which Kakashi-sensei was placed to keep an eye on him." Sakura slowly made her way to the impassive blonde, never breaking his gaze. "Isn't that right…Naruto?"

A silence permeated the air, and Sakura noted that all the passer-bys were beginning to give them curious looks.

"Maa, Taicho. She got you too." Kakashi drawled before diving back into his perverted literature.

Kitsune sighed, and for a split second she could see a flicker of the old Naruto in those sapphire orbs of his, before it was once again replaced by an emotionless gaze.

"…Yes, you're right. I would appreciate it, however, if you were to keep this to yourself."

Sakura grinned victoriously, knowing that it was indeed her team mate in front of her. She continued to stare into his impassive blue eyes while her she linked her arms behind her back.

"I'll do it…on one condition."

The blonde gave her a slow nod, and she saw the calculating look he gave her.

"It depends. If your condition inconveniences me too much, I could always order you as a superior to keep it to yourself."

"_**Who does he think he is!"**_ Inner Sakura roared, punching the air in anger. _**"Hottie or not, no one can be this rude to us and get away with it!"**_

Sakura blushed slightly at the comment, and resisted the urge to check her team mate out. It wouldn't do for her to be seen ogling her best friend in public after all.

Looking over to the said blonde, she noticed with horror that from what she could see, he appeared to be raising an eyebrow at the red tinting her cheeks.

'_Please…don't mention it…'_

"Well? What is your…_condition?"_ Sakura took a deep breath, willing her blush to disappear as she thanked the gods for small favours.

"Meet me after this-"

"No." His reply was instant and decisive. "I have no time to waste, this hold up has already delayed my training long enough. Now if you will excuse me…"

Sakura smirked viciously, a facsimile of a grin that would have caused any other male to run in the opposite direction when it was directed at them. The only reaction it gained from Naruto was a snort.

"Don't even try it, Sakura. I'm no longer the idiot I used to be."

The pink-haired girl shook her head, feeling her heart sting at the blonde's cold words.

'_He's…so different…'_

"No matter how much you change, Naruto…" She met his expressionless gaze with a determined one of her own. "To me, you'll always be my team mate. I know that deep down inside of you, the old Naruto is still there!"

The blonde's eyes hardened as he turned his back to face her and began making his way to Tsunade's office.

'_I have no need for bonds. Someone like her…will only be a liability. I have no time for this, more training will be required in order for me to surpass Sasuke.'_

"I will not say this again, Sakura. The loudmouthed brat you knew is dead. Any further attempts to waste my time will not be tolerated, so kindly continue what you were doing before you encountered us."

Sakura clenched her fist tightly in anger at the boy's words, nearly drawing blood through the gloves she wore. For a moment, she saw Sasuke in his place, walking away from her after she had poured her heart out to him. Then she blinked, and it was once again the blonde standing there.

'_No…this is too much like that day…I can't lose him too…I won't!'_

"Naruto! W-why…are you doing this? You're acting just like…Sasuke-ku-"

Naruto whirled around, a hint of red creeping into his eyes as he growled at Sakura.

"I'll never be like that _traitor_!" The words burst out before he was able to stop them. The anger he felt at being compared to the Uchiha was palpable, before he realised what he was doing.

'_Damn it…why did I lose control like that…'_His eyes slowly reverted to their previous icy shade of cerulean. _'After all these years…her words still affect me…how pathetic…'_

The blonde continued to stare at the floor even after he had regained his composure. "Sakura…you might not understand, but I'll do whatever I must to accomplish my goals. But no matter what happens, _never_ compare me to the Uchiha." Sakura stared at him in horror, seeing the parallels between him and her other team mate.

'_Please tell me this isn't happening…'_ When Inner Sakura didn't offer a smart remark, tears begin to well up in her emerald orbs.

"Naruto…look at yourself and tell me that you're nothing like him!" The pink-haired girl yelled, resisting the urge to knock some sense into the stubborn blonde. "Please…I just want to talk to you…"

Kitsune shot her an icy glare, but she continued to look back at him with a stubborn intensity.

'_I won't let you do this to yourself, Naruto!'_

'_It seems that she does genuinely want to talk to me…I guess just this once…'_

Sakura saw the resigned look that appeared in the blonde's eyes and her lips curved upwards into a victorious grin.

"I see that you just won't let it go…Tori, take her to my usual training grounds, if you don't mind."

When she nodded, the Jinchuuriki gestured for his remaining squad members to follow him before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

'…_After nearly three years of training under Tsunade-sama, I still don't know that jutsu…'_

* * *

"So, your name is Sakura?"

To the pink-haired girl's surprise, Tori was the opposite of what she thought an ANBU would be like. Cheerful and easygoing, she was almost what Sakura had envisioned she would be like a few years down the road.

"I'm Haruno Sakura! Ah…you can't tell me who you are…"

The Kunoichi merely winked at her and removed her mask to reveal a heart-shaped face that was framed by her dark violet locks. Her eyes were a startling shade of emerald, and reminded Sakura of her own.

"What Taicho doesn't know won't hurt him, right?" The mischievous grin she had was infectious, and Sakura found her lips curving upwards into a smile.

"Hibiki Misora's the name! I'm turning twenty this year, and singing is my hobby!"

Sakura smiled fondly at the vibrant introduction, which reminded her of a certain blonde's. Her hand unconsciously moved to adjust her forehead protector as they made their way down the streets of Konoha.

'_She's like a female Naruto…well the way he used to be anyway.'_

"I'm fifteen this year, and I like…" Racking her brains for something she liked to do, Sakura came to a shocking realisation that her intensive training regime had robbed her of any spare time whatsoever.

'_The only social event I attend is the weekly Rookie Nine gatherings…how embarrassing…'_

She giggled in embarrassment at the sad fact and tried to change the subject.

"Ano…when did you join ANBU?"

Thankfully for her, Misora noticed her avoidance of the subject and didn't comment on the abrupt change of topic.

"The squad I'm currently in is my first! And from your earlier performance, you know when the squad was formed right?"

Sakura smiled sheepishly, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks as she played with a lock of pink hair.

"Sorry about that, I just wasn't used to Naruto acting so…"

"Cold?" Misora supplied, gaining a fervent nod in reply. "I know, Kakashi-sempai told me that he used to be a loudmouth back in his genin days. I find that hard to believe though, Taicho is so uptight!"

The pink-haired girl sighed at the reminder of their genin days, unconsciously bringing a hand to her heart, which felt like it was being squeezed painfully.

"Believe it…Naruto was so loud and stubborn…but he always came through for us when necessary. Back then, he used to do everything he could to make me happy and keep me safe. Now…he's changed so much…"

A melancholy look crossed her face as she remembered the bright grin that used to be permanently fixed onto the blonde's face. His eyes used to be so open, brimming full of happiness, but now they were guarded and emotionless.

"I just want the old Naruto back…"

"_**Stop whining about it! Jump him and all our problems will be solved! You both need some stress relief!" **_Inner Sakura growled, once again displaying her twisted logic as she waved around a placard saying "Physical Therapy".

Sakura choked in shock as the violet-haired girl beside her gave her an amused look at the sudden mood change.

"Well, if someone can change him, it's you." Sakura tilted her head curiously, mentally wondering what the older girl meant.

Misora smiled brightly at her, trying to instil hope in the younger girl.

"In these six months, I've never seen Taicho say that much or respond with so much emotion to anyone."

Sakura looked at her in disbelief, wondering if the purple-haired girl was insane.

'_He was as expressive as a brick wall! Maybe she needs to get her head checked…'_

The ANBU giggled at her shocked expression, knowing exactly what the younger Kunoichi was thinking.

"I know that it sounds ridiculous, but trust me when I say Taicho doesn't usually show us what he's feeling. Even if he's angry, he keeps it all to himself, and we can never tell what he's thinking. That's why…" She paused to place a comforting arm on the younger girl's shoulder. "Deep down, I think that a little bit of him still cares for you. I'm sure that you'll be able to revive his old personality if you just keep trying!"

Encouraged by the jade-eyed Kunoichi's words, Sakura felt her lips slowly curve upwards into a slight smile.

"Thank you, Misora-sempai. I needed to hear that…"

The older girl laughed, a carefree sound that just didn't sound right coming from someone in an ANBU uniform.

"Any time, Sakura-chan. We should get together sometime after you succeed, hmm? I've always wanted to know if Taicho got drunk…"

The pink-haired girl snickered out loud as the mental image of a drunk Naruto brazenly putting the moves on a girl came to mind.

"_**He's mine! Hands off, hussy!"**_ Her other persona jumped into the fray, engaging in a catfight with the imaginary girl while Naruto sweatdropped.

'…_I refuse to believe that she's a part of me."_ Sakura thought, unwilling to admit for a second that she had been the slightest bit jealous. Nope, not at all.

"Yes, Misora-sempai. We will…"

Arriving at the training grounds, Sakura was surprised to see that it was largely undamaged with the grass well kept and maintained. Misora giggled at her stunned expression.

"Surprised, Sakura-chan? We are ANBU you know, not monsters. Environmental damage is kept to a minimum in ANBU training grounds…after all, we exercise more control than mere genin."

The medic-nin nodded in understanding, pausing to wipe some perspiration off her forehead.

"I'm just so used to training with Tsunade-shishou…and the grounds are usually wrecked after that, so this is new for me."

The purple-haired young woman snickered, shaking her head.

"Ah well, please try to keep the damage down to a minimum here when you beat some sense into Taicho. Anyway, I'd better get going now. It was nice meeting you, Sakura-chan. Ja ne!"

Once again donning her mask, Tori waved an energetic goodbye as she disappeared into a puff of smoke.

"…"

"_**Why does everyone know that jutsu except us!"**_

Sakura huffed in frustration as she began running through her taijutsu katas on a training dummy without using chakra to strengthen the blows.

"Naruto should know better than to keep a lady waiting…where is he?"

* * *

"Kitsune, you're free to go now. Your report has been submitted."

"Tsunade-sama."

The blonde Hokage smirked, knowing exactly what the ANBU Captain wanted to see her about.

"Why did you tell Sakura about my return?" he asked flatly, boring into her eyes with a merciless gaze.

"I am well within my rights to do so as Hokage, Kitsune. Or should I say…Naruto."

His gaze was unfaltering, and Tsunade almost found it unnerving that a teenager could have eyes so guarded that they were unreadable even to her. After a few moments, he bowed sharply and turned to leave.

"…I'm doing this for your own good, you know. The way you're behaving…it reminds me of Orochimaru just before he became a missing-nin." The Hokage smiled sadly at the boy's back, knowing that he would not respond. "I hope Sakura is able to find the real you once again, Naruto, before it's too late…"

Stopping at the door, the Jinchuuriki turned slightly and quietly said "Did you ever consider that maybe…just maybe…this could be what I want?"

Even after he had left, Tsunade continued to stare at the place where his back had been.

"I was afraid of that…"

* * *

Her body covered in a light sheen of perspiration, Sakura continued to pound away at the dummy. As her impatience grew, so did the amount of chakra she used till the point when wood chips began to fly into the air with every punch or kick she threw.

"When he gets here…I'm going to kill him!"

Coincidentally, it was at that point that Naruto chose to arrive in a cloud of white smoke.

"NARUTO!" Sakura stomped over to the motionless ANBU, fuming with anger.

"Why are you late?! And you're going to find yourself in a world of pain if your next sentence involves being lost on the road of life!"

The blonde shook his head in exasperation, inwardly disgusted that anyone could think he would use an excuse like that.

"…Tsunade-sama held me back. Now, please tell me what you want."

The pink-haired girl hesitated, realising that it was the first time she was alone with Naruto in nearly three years. She licked her lips nervously, finding to her dismay that they were cracked and dry from the heat.

"…Take off the mask, Naruto. I want to talk to you face to face."

"…" Without protesting, the boy reached for his mask slowly, fingers curling around the Kitsune's whiskers as he pulled it away from his face.

'_Wow…'_

"_**Damn…when did he get so…"**_ For once, Inner Sakura was at a loss for words.

His slim and angular face was complemented by strongly defined features, and put together with his spiky blonde hair gave Naruto a mature and serious air. This, coupled with his lean and muscular frame that could only be achieved from a rigid training regime, forcefully reminded Sakura of a certain raven-haired boy she had been enamoured with during her childhood days.

'_No way…he even looks like him…'_

"_**Kyahhh!"**_ Inner Sakura went into an insane fangirl rant. _**"He's smoking hot! Put a collar on him so you can have your very own bishounen!"**_

Naruto watched quizzically as his former team mate's visage went from stunned disbelief to a slight tinge of red.

'…_She's even more bipolar than before…'_

"Could you please get this over with, Sakura? I'm wasting my time here…" he stated neutrally, crossing his arms.

The girl cleared her throat and nodded, brushing aside several sweat-soaked tendrils of hair from her face.

"Naruto. I want you to tell me exactly what happened to you. The way you're acting…it's like you're no longer the Naruto I know!"

She was cut off by a snort as the blonde turned his back on her and began walking away.

"Naruto! Where do you think you're going?" Sakura ran towards him, grabbing his shoulder tightly with her right hand and spinning him around. She kept a tight grip on the shoulder, feeling the hard muscle beneath his skin as she glared into his indifferent eyes.

The Kunoichi was caught off guard by the bitter laugh that suddenly rang from the boy's mouth. It was a harsh and grating sound, the laugh of someone who had forgotten how to feel happiness. Remembering the cheerful laughter that used to emanate from the very same boy that stood in front of her, the happiness that used to shine in eyes that were now glacial, Sakura clenched her fists tightly as she resisted the urge to punch the _imposter _that stood in front of her.

'_There's no way…this can be Naruto…'_

"You're too late, Sakura." He brushed her arm off his shoulder, smoothing down the crumpled fabric where her fingers had gripped his uniform. "Kakashi tried the same thing, and I'll tell you what I told him. It's far too late for any of you to start caring about me…"

The girl felt his words strike her like physical blows, and lowered her head in shame as every insecurity she had ever felt over her treatment of the blonde came back to haunt her.

"I…we…always c-cared about you…"

A dry chuckle that was wholly devoid of mirth cut her off as the boy's voice hardened.

"Is that so? I truly doubt it, Sakura." His frosty cerulean eyes bore into her, and she looked away to avoid the guilt his gaze invoked.

"Naruto…why can't you see what you're doing to yourself?" She pleaded, trying with all her heart to make him listen to her words. To her dismay, Naruto's eyes remained flinty and unyielding, showing no signs of what he was feeling.

"It doesn't matter to me. Even if I have to sell my soul to the devil, I will gain the strength I need to surpass the Uchiha. These pathetic bonds that I clung onto for so long made me weak, and it is through shedding them that I will gain the power I need. It would do you good to remember that…Sakura"

Sakura felt herself go numb with every word that came out of the boy's mouth. When he refastened the Kitsune mask and turned to leave, she found herself paralysed and unable to stop him.

'_Sakura…I'm not like you and Naruto. I will do whatever I must to gain power, even if it means breaking the ties that I have with Konoha. To me…nothing is more important than gaining the strength I need to kill that man."_

The departing back in front of her flickered, becoming an indistinguishable mix of Sasuke and Naruto, and Sakura felt a wave of determination rise within her, knocking aside her hesitation and fear.

'_I'm not that weak little girl anymore…there's no way I'll let this happen again!'_

* * *

"What…" The blonde tilted his head to the right, narrowly avoiding a punch that would have shattered his jaw. "…do you think you're doing?"

Dispelling the chakra in her fist to avoid destroying the training grounds, Sakura tightened her gloves and turned around to reveal the feral grin on her face. One that promised pain and suffering for him.

"It's quite simple, Naruto…I propose a bet. A spar between the two of us."

She locked her emerald orbs with her team mate's cerulean, projecting all the confidence she could muster at him. A small spark of interest could be seen to rise in the boy's eyes, and it was enough for her to gain the confidence she needed to continue.

"If I win…you'll go to the weekly Rookie Nine gatherings, starting with the one at Ichiraku Ramen tonight."

She could almost see the gears working in his head as he weighed the potential hazards and benefits of his choice. When he spoke again, his voice contained a hint of a challenge. The uncharacteristic change caused Sakura to blink in shock, and she nearly missed the words that followed.

"And if I win, you'll cease your foolish attempts to rekindle our so-called bond. Do we have an accord?"

Sakura swallowed nervously as a wave of doubt washed over her. If she could make Naruto attend the gathering, the chances of him opening up would be much higher than what she could do on her own. But if she lost…

'_What should I do…'_

Inner Sakura awoke from her dormancy to answer the mental plea. _**"Take it, of course! If you let him go now, we'll never get him back!"**_

Sakura's jaw dropped as she considered her inner self's words.

'_Oh my…did you just give useful, non-perverted advice?'_

"_**Hmm? Did you say something?" **_Inner Sakura asked nonchalantly, her nose buried into a familiar orange book.

'…_And I spoke too soon…'_

Breaking out of her thoughts to find Naruto still waiting, Sakura gave him a firm nod.

"First to incapacitate the other or force a surrender wins. Anything goes-"

"No." The blonde interjected, eyes flashing with amusement as he seemed to revert back to his old personality for an instant. "I am an ANBU Captain, after all. What do you say to…restricting me to taijutsu?"

Sakura smirked, cracking her knuckles in anticipation. While she would have been angered at receiving a handicap in a normal spar, this was one which she could not afford to lose. Any arrogance on Naruto's part would be his loss.

"Let me tell you up front, Naruto…you're making a huge mistake. I'm not the same girl I was during our genin days."

Tossing aside his Kitsune mask, the blonde merely snorted as he moved into a taijutsu stance.

"We'll see, Sakura…we'll see."

Wiping perspiration off her forehead, Sakura subtly began gathering chakra into her fist.

"Ready…"

She tensed at his words, hunching over slightly as she bent her elbow slightly in preparation.

"Hajime."

* * *

Here's another long chapter…I really don't know how it ended up as 6000 words. For anyone who's interested, Misora is a character from Ryuusei no Rockman (which is my newest obsession). However, this fic is **not** a crossover, I placed her in Naruto's team solely as a character reference.

With that said, would anyone like to guess who Neko is (she is a Naruto character)? A cyber cookie for anyone who guesses right! Anyway, constructive criticism would be appreciated, so please leave a comment if you have the time. Thank you!

Thanks to the following people for reviewing, you all rock!

Legally Fabulous, arkard, pvt stewart, Denim88, Gnosismaster, uzukun7, dbzgtfan2004, mangalover248, full-metal-sousuke, IronicEnding, Wrathchylde, AgentBEATS, rickp2006, Yumizuki, dragonshaun9, Narusaku Romance, shankstar89, DemonicLove555, .


	4. Resolve

Author's notes:

It's been a while since my last update, and I can only apologize. Do not worry, this story will not be abandoned. No matter how slow my updates are, they will come. I'm not very used to writing fight scenes, so feedback will be greatly appreciated. ^_^

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Asuma would actually get to know his kid. Wait, maybe I should be given ownership rights!

* * *

"Hajime."

As soon as she heard the word, Sakura cocked her fist and slammed it into the ground, simultaneously releasing the chakra she had been storing in it.

The results were instantaneous.

Naruto watched in what could only be described as shock when a veritable wall of dirt rapidly made its way towards him, tearing up the ground as it progressed.

'_I…don't recall her possessing that ability.'_

Recovering from his surprise almost instantly, the blonde hastily channeled chakra into his legs and waited for the wave to approach him.

At the last moment, he made a chakra-empowered leap that took him over the wall of dirt, feeling the vibration beneath his feet at the apex of his jump.

Landing gracefully, the blonde whipped his head towards where the pink-haired girl was, once again channeling chakra into his legs in preparation to pounce.

Only to find her missing.

Even as his icy cerulean orbs swiveled around in search of his opponent, Naruto felt a grudging respect rise within him for the girl he had previously seen as weak.

'_Her attack was actually a diversion from which she could launch the real assault. Impressive.'_

Banishing all useless thoughts from his mind, the blonde continued his search for Sakura, twisting his head from side to side.

'_She's masking her presence, and I can't see her anywhere…' _A drop of sweat trickled down the side of hin ais face, and Naruto impatiently swiped it away with the back of his hand.

'C_ould she be underground?'_

He cast his gaze downwards, noticing almost too late the rapidly growing shadow in front of him, indicating that Sakura had managed to get into his blind spot while he had been disoriented.

"…"

The blonde grimaced as he hastily dived to the side, managing to evade the incoming heel drop by a hair's breadth.

Her movements graceful and feline, the Kunoichi dropped to the ground and executed a leg sweep to knock her opponent off balance. When the Jinchuuriki displayed inhuman agility by leaping right over her leg despite being caught off balance, she launched three kunai at him.

Thrown at such close range with the target in midair and unable to maneuver, the kunai should have been nigh impossible to evade.

And yet…

With ridiculous ease, the blonde casually plucked all three kunai out of the air in one swift motion, before landing gracefully.

'_How…absurd…'_

Without allowing the shock she was feeling to show on her face, Sakura leapt at the Jinchuuriki with a Chakra-filled right fist, hoping to catch him off-guard…

Only to have her arm caught in a vice grip by her opponent, his eyes glowing a deep crimson. Without giving Sakura a chance to react, the blonde mercilessly drove the heel of his palm into her chest, causing a resounding crack as a brief lance of pain cut through her.

The following palm to her stomach would have signaled the end of the match, had she not pumped Chakra into her legs and executed a desperate leap backwards.

Standing a safe distance away from her adversary, Sakura found herself breathing hard as thoughts ran through her mind.

'_His Taijutsu is far superior to mine…not only that, his reflexes are unnatural. Is this what it means to be ANBU?'_

It was then that she noticed something was amiss.

Despite the fact that Sakura was taking deeper breaths than usual, none of the air seemed to be making its way into her lungs.

* * *

"It's over."

The disinterested words confused her for a moment, before realization struck. Desperately attempting to suck in air to no avail, the pink-haired girl collapsed onto the ground

"Wh…what…"

The blonde watched apathetically as his opponent gasped for air, holding her hands over her chest. Her defeat had been imminent the moment she had decided to engage him with Taijutsu.

"I have temporarily sealed off your windpipe. As long as your body continues to function, you will be unable to take in oxygen. The effect will only undo itself when you lose consciousness. This match is over."

The vigorous movements Sakura had been executing only served to increase her body's need for air. This had worked in his favor, as cutting off her air supply would result in unconsciousness in a matter of seconds.

"As we agreed, do not approach me without reason ever again. I have no time to humor your pathetic attempts at reconciliation. Sasuke is gone. I am now an ANBU Captain. Kakashi is part of my squad, as much as I dislike the fact. Team Seven no longer exists, and it would be in both our interests for you to realize that."

Looking down at the prone form of his former team mate, the boy felt his resolve waver for a moment. Even while keeping any signs of hesitation from showing, he felt a nagging ache in the corner of his heart as he announced the death of Team Seven.

'_I'm still too weak…something like this should mean nothing to me.'_

Closing his eyes, the Jinchuuriki forced himself to clear his mind. This was what he had chosen, and there was no space for doubt. After all, Uzumaki Naruto never ran away.

'…_Liar. Even now, you're still running away. Is this truly what you wish for? '_

Ignoring his traitorous mind, he retrieved his mask and put it back in place.

'_This might not be the right thing to do, but it matters not to me. All I need is strength…the strength to defeat Sasuke. Everything else is secondary.'_

Involuntarily, a single memory surfaced. A memory of betrayal, one that motivated him to move on whenever he experienced doubt.

_The cursed pair of eyes drilled right through him, peering into the deepest recesses of his mind, probing and invasive. The contemptuous visage directed towards him by the boy he thought he knew. The derisive words cut through his heart like a knife through butter._

His eyes opened once again, filled with resolve.

'_On that day, I discarded my heart. I swore to surpass Sasuke by any means possible. This is the path I have chosen, there will be no turning back.'_

Having overcome his momentary weakness, the boy cast a final glance towards Sakura, who was staring at him with glassy eyes.

'_She's barely conscious…it's surprising that she's even held on this long.'_

Even after a few moments had passed, he found himself unable to look away despite the fact that her presence in his life was merely a hindrance. The girl who lay before him was an enigma. No matter how much he tried to find an answer, the boy simply could not comprehend why she was going out of her way to challenge him to such a pointless duel. Not only was it obvious from the start that victory would be his, she had no good reason for doing so.

Even though he was no longer doing it for Sakura's sake, the fact remained that he still wanted to drag Sasuke back to Konoha. After all, what better way would there be for him to prove his superiority over the Uchiha than to drag him back to the very village he had sworn never to return to?

'_Why is she doing this? If what she wants is for Sasuke to return to Konoha, is the method I am currently employing not the most efficient? Why does Sakura insist on standing in my way?'_

As he watched the pink-haired girl's eyelids lower and the tension leave her body, Naruto shook his head to clear it of unnecessary thoughts. No matter what her reasons were, the duel was over. If she kept to her word, it would be a long time before the two of them ever met again.

"Sakura…thank you."

With those words, Uzumaki Naruto turned his back on his former crush and walked away without hesitation..

* * *

Sakura felt as though there was a stone lodged in her windpipe, blocking her flow of air. Every breath she took brought her one step closer to losing consciousness.

'_Nothing's changed…'_

Her vision tinged with black, the Kunoichi watched blearily as Naruto looked at her with dispassionate eyes.

'_Not one thing since that day…'_

Anything would have been better. Anger, annoyance, contempt, hatred, _any one_ of those would have been better than the apathetic eyes that she faced. Even on the verge of collapse, she found herself irrationally wishing that the blonde would suddenly break out into a grin and tell her that it had all been a prank…

"…closed off your windpipe…lose consciousness…unable to breathe…match is over…"

The lack of oxygen was making her lightheaded, which in turn impaired her thought processes. Sakura vaguely knew that, although she wasn't sure exactly what it meant. It was all the girl could do to fix her blank stare onto the boy who looked down at her with eyes devoid of emotion.

'_Who are you?'_

A memory forced its way to the surface of her mind, which was rapidly ceasing to function. A boy with golden hair as bright as the sun…a dazzling smile which could brighten up a room…and a dream of some sort.

'_A precious person.'_

Those cold eyes looking down at her…whose eyes were they? He couldn't be the same boy she used to know… For what reason was she forcing herself to stay awake? For a stranger who looked down at her with such cold eyes? Wouldn't it be better if she just listened to her body…?

'_Good idea, that's what I should do. Right now, what I need to do is just…close…my…'_

Succumbing to the weight on her eyelids, Sakura felt herself drift off…

"Sakura…thank you."

The words cut through her hazy mind, sending alarm bells ringing in her head. The girl's eyelids snapped open as she forced her heartbeat to slow down, reducing her need for oxygen.

'_Those words…they were what Sasuke-kun said to me before he left Konoha…'_

Knowing that she had only a few seconds at best, Sakura send her mind to work, taking note of just where all her limbs were positioned. There was a slim chance…just one…

'_Naruto, no matter what you say, you've become like him…'_

She forced Chakra into her palms, ignoring the burning sensation she felt on them. Even though she had lost the ability to move physically, her hands were already where they needed to be. All she needed to do was use every last shred of her consciousness to pump Chakra into healing her wound…!

'_Maybe I'm just being selfish, doing something that you're opposed to…'_

It was a Herculean task merely to keep herself awake, much less manipulate Chakra. If Tsunade-sama could see what she was doing, Sakura would be sent back to the Academy. While Chakra might be a Shinobi's weapon, it was a double-edged sword. Trying to heal herself while on the verge of collapse could easily have fatal results if she made a single mistake, something that a Chunnin shouldn't even have considered…!

'_But I just can't do it. I can't let you walk away the way Sasuke-kun did, Naruto…'_

For the first time in her life, Sakura truly appreciated her talent for Chakra control. It was because of that ability alone that she was able to execute such a risky maneuver. Slowly, Sakura felt her breathing stabilize, and found her bodily functions restoring themselves. There were Chakra burns on her hands where she had forcefully pumped Chakra through them, but there had been no big mistakes. More importantly, she now had the element of surprise.

'_Even though it's selfish, I don't want to lose you!'_

Fighting back the head-splitting migraine that had resulted from overworking her brain, Sakura slowly got back onto her feet, wincing in pain as her oxygen-starved joints creaked in protest.

'_Just a little longer…I'll rest after this …'_

* * *

It was unexpected, to say the least.

The only thing that had saved Naruto from suffering a concussion was his honed instincts. A voice in his head screamed at him to move, and he executed a swift sidestep.

Not a moment too soon, as a Chakra-powered fist cut through the air where he had been mere moments ago, the backlash slicing a thin gash into his side. Wincing slightly, the blonde hastily put some distance between him and his assailant.

Of course, it was the girl he had assumed to be unconscious. Naruto felt a grudging respect for his opponent as he mentally chastised himself for underestimating her.

"Interesting. I see that Tsunade-sama has taught you well. To be able to heal yourself in such a state…"

All he received in return was a smirk, as his opponent wordlessly charged at him with her fist glowing blue. The recklessness of her action shocked the Jinchuuriki, even as he took a defensive stance.

'_Disappointing. Hasn't she learnt her lesson? While it is true that her blows are strong enough to incapacitate me with a single blow, the fact remains that my Taijutsu is superior. Such a tactic will only lead to failure.'_

Dodging to the side as the fist bore down on him, Naruto grabbed Sakura's arm as it passed by. In a merciless replay of their previous exchange, he slammed a vicious fist into her stomach, before sending his palm into her chest once again.

He was filled with an odd feeling, as though there was something amiss. From what he could remember, Sakura had not been much of a fighter, but she had been intelligent. Why would she do something so foolhardy?

"…I expected better. You should have known that something which had failed once would not work the second time."

A trickle of blood making its way down her chin, the Kunoichi offered him the one response he had not expected; a grin.

"You are…the one who is…mistaken, Naruto. After all…"

Moving her face close to his ear, she whispered with the last of her breath.

"_I am a Bunshin." _

Realizing that he had been outplayed as the Sakura before him exploded into a shower of water, Naruto glanced downwards just in time to see the ground crack open and a fist head towards his face.

Even with his reflexes, it was all the Jinchuuriki could do to throw his arms into the path of the blow in a makeshift block, infuriated at the appalling arrogance which had led to him underestimating the same person twice within the same match.

A loud crack echoed through the air as the Chakra-powered fist drilled through his guard and landed solidly onto the top half of his mask, shattering it instantly.

* * *

Naruto inwardly cursed as he landed unsteadily on his feet. Although he had managed to avoid being knocked out due to his mask and the block he had managed to raise, the damage he had taken was severe nonetheless. The ringing in his ears most likely meant that he had a mild concussion, not to mention…

Gritting his teeth, the blonde lowered his gaze to the familiar sensation he felt. His left arm, which had taken the brunt of the blow, was bent in an unnatural angle. It was broken, and would stay that way for the next two days or so. If he called upon the Kyuubi's Chakra to heal him, it would mend instantly, but…

'_This was the result of my carelessness. It shall serve as a reminder for me not to underestimate any opponent, no matter who they might be.'_

Straightening his posture, Naruto's mind raced as he searched for a tactic which would allow him to win with one arm. To him, the match was no longer about the bet they had initially made.

'_I have trained hard to eliminate my weaknesses, and yet…'_

What was it about Sakura that made him let his guard down without knowing it? Why had he not finished her off earlier when she was lying on the ground before him? Why had he not seen through her simple ploy? Why was it that being around her made him so…weak?

'_Very well…this will serve as a test. This girl is a lingering weakness of mine, one that I must cut off without mercy. If I am able to sever our bond here, I will be one step closer to surpassing Sasuke…!'_

* * *

Panting heavily, Sakura desperately tried to keep all traces of the pain she was feeling from showing on her face. As a result of the emergency healing she had carried out, her head felt like it was being split in two. This, in addition to the fact that she had not fully recovered from the earlier oxygen deprivation meant that she was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.

'_I have at most…fifteen minutes.'_

Casting her gaze towards her adversary, Sakura noted with the precision of a Medical Ninja that his left arm was broken. The trickle of blood making its way down from his forehead also told her that her earlier punch had not left him unharmed.

'_Since I'm pressed for time, waiting for him to come to me is not an option…'_

Forcing her aching limbs to move, Sakura fought back the nausea rising within her.

'_This isn't the time for me to be feeling sick! If I lose here…'_

Instinctively, she knew the consequences. If she lost this match, she would lose Naruto with it. If she lost here…never again would she see that cheerful grin she so sorely missed.

'_That's why…even if it kills me…losing isn't an option!'_

Trying to wash her doubts away, Sakura locked her gaze onto the figure before her, the boy who had lost himself in his quest for strength.

"Naruto!"

The Jinchuuriki met her gaze and she gasped the cold resolve she found within his azure eyes, knowing that it meant he had reached a similar conclusion.

"_**Don't lose it now!"**_

Inner Sakura offered her encouragement.

"_**Don't worry about what will happen if we lose, because we won't lose!"**_

Her childlike words made Sakura smile. It was just like Inner Sakura to say what she needed to hear most.

'_That's right. All this time, losing hasn't been an option for me. What I should be thinking about isn't what will happen if I lose, but what I should do to win!'_

Taking a deep breath, the Kunoichi tensed her leg muscles in preparation for movement. Noticing that her opponent was preparing himself for combat, she knew that the next words she uttered would signal the continuation of their match.

'_Naruto…prepare yourself.'_

Unwaveringly, she stared into the icy gaze of her former team mate, trying with all her might to make him understand the depths of her resolve.

"Naruto! In order to bring back your smile, to help you find yourself once again…I won't lose! It's a promise!"

* * *

While I'm not fully satisfied with this chapter, it was certainly the best I could come up with. Hopefully my fight scenes will get better with practice.

Well, that was it. Please leave constructive criticism if you have the time!

Thanks to the following reviewers!

Endros, Reaper, Leneypoo, suzako, dragonshaun9, BOWCHICKAWOWOW!!, Cloud Ex-SOLDIER, justastranger, BookMaster3000, kacame, Itz Rayz, Denim88, Broken Sexed Up Bloody Kitten, DemonicLove555, TwiztidOne, Lady Keruri, AlastorGodofVengeance, Dangel29, x.S a n c t u a r y, weixuan18, itzmexD, AgentBEATS, uzukun7, AmiMomo, skytide101, animeflunky, MiseryluvsDeath, ., TuffChick, Death Incarnate, TrueSalvation, Momochikd, viperp5, Gnosismaster, likes a good story, Ratchet McCloud, Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain, Blood Zephyr, Force Storm, magicslifer, Legally Fabulous


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